Clindamycin (Systemic)

Brand Names : Cleocin, Cleocin Pediatric, Dalacin C, Dalacin C Flavored Granules, Dalacin C Phosphate

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For clindamycin, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to clindamycin, lincomycin, or doxorubicin. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - Clindamycin has not been reported to cause birth defects or other problems in humans.

Breast-feeding - Clindamycin passes into the breast milk. However, clindamycin has not been reported to cause problems in nursing babies.

Children - This medicine has been tested in children and, in effective doses, has not been reported to cause different side effects or problems than it does in adults.

Older adults - Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing use of clindamycin in the elderly with use in other age groups.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking clindamycin, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Chloramphenicol (e.g., Chloromycetin) or
• Diarrhea medicine containing kaolin or attapulgite or
• Erythromycins (medicine for infection) - Taking these medicines along with clindamycin may decrease the effects of clindamycin

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of clindamycin. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Kidney disease (severe) or
• Liver disease (severe) - Severe kidney or liver disease may increase blood levels of this medicine, increasing the chance of side effects

• Stomach or intestinal disease, history of (especially colitis, including colitis caused by antibiotics, or enteritis) - Patients with a history of stomach or intestinal disease may have an increased chance of side effects